Latch actuating assembly



Jan. 11, 1966 D. KLUEGER 3,228,719

LATCH AGTUATING ASSEMBLY Filed April 16, 1963 INVENTOR.

Z0 BY fren Z2 mzqyer ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,228,719 LATCH ACTUATING ASSEMBLY Herbert D. Klueger, Oak Park, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 273,383 2 Claims. (Cl. 292336.3)

This invention relates to latch actuating means and more particularly to vehicle body latch actuating means.

It is well-known to provide actuating rods or members for operatively connecting an inside remote operating handle to a vehicle body door latch. Due to a collision or otherwise, it is possible for the door and the actuating rod to be deformed in a manner tending to shorten the end-to-end distance of the actuating rod so that the door latch is actuated to permit the door to fly open.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide improved latch actuating means which prevent actuation of the door latch should the actuating means be deformed.

Generally, the latch actuating means of this invention includes a member operatively connected to an operating handle, and another member swingably mounted adjacent the first member and connected to one end of the remote actuating rod, with the first member being engageable with the second member upon operation of the handle to swing the second member and shift the remote rod to actuate the latch. In the event of deformation of the remote rod in a manner tending to shorten the end-to-end distance thereof, the second member moves relative to the first member so that the rod may freely distort without actuating the door latch.

This and other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a vehicle body embodying latch actuating means according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partially broken away view of a portion of FIGURE 1 showing the latch actuating means in inoperative position in full lines, and in latch actuating position in broken lines;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the latch actuating means in a different position;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 4--4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body includes a front door 12 of conventional structure mounted adjacent its forward edge on the body by suitable hinge means (not shown), for swinging movement between open and closed positions. A door latch 14 provided to hold the door in closed position is of a known type and includes an actuating lever 16 for releasing the latch from the inside of the vehicle. Reference may be had to US. Patent No. 2,796,276 which issued June 18, 1957 to I. D. Leslie, for a more complete description of a suitable latch. The inside actuating means for releasing the latch 14 generally includes an inside remote operating handle 18 and a shiftable actuating rod 20 connected at one end to actuate lever 16 and connected at its other end to handle 18 in a manner to be described.

As shown best in FIGURE 5, a spindle 26, which is secured in a conventional manner to handle 18, is journaled within an aperture defined by an annular flange 30 of the door inner panel 28. A cam or intermediate member 32 has a double D-shaped aperture thereof received on a complementary shaped end 34 of spindle 26 which 3,228,719 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 is headed over after assembly to couple the cam and handle 18 for simultaneous swinging movement. Cam 32 bears against the edge of the flange 30 and cooperates with a spring clip 36 bearing on a Washer 38 to axially locate the spindle on the inner panel. A torsion spring 40 surrounds flange 30 and has one end thereof anchored in the inner panel and the other end thereof hooked over cam 32 to urge the cam and handle 18 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 2, an operating lever or member 42 is swingably mounted adjacent one end thereof on a stud or pivot 44 secured to a bracket 45 mounted on the inner panel and located to the right of spindle 26 so that lever 42 swings eccentrically of cam 32. The free end of lever 42 carries the forward end of rod 20. A torsion spring 46, which is weaker than spring 40, surrounds pivot 44 and has one end thereof hooked to the bracket 45 and the other end thereof hooked over the lever so as to bias the lever and remote rod in a clockwise direction or forwardly of the body. As seen best in FIGURE 4, lever 42 is provided with a semicircular profiled cam tab 48 and a locating tab 50, both of which extend inwardly of the body and laterally of lever 42.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, spring 40 constantly urges cam 32 counterclockwise to yieldably hold the cam in engagement with a stop tab 51 struck outwardly of inner panel 28, and lighter spring 46 urges lever 42 clockwise so that locating tab 50 engages a flat edge 52 of the cam. The springs, due to their relative strengths, thus cooperate to locate cam 32, lever 42 and rod 20 in a normal inoperative position, as shown in full lines. Spring 46 also provides anti-rattle tension on lever 42, rod 20 and actuating lever 16. When it is desired to release latch 14, operating handle 18 is swung to rotate cam 32 clockwise so that an arcuate cam edge 54 thereof engages tab 48 to swing lever 42 clockwise, to shift remote rod 20 to the left, and thus to operate inside actuating lever 16. When the handle is released, spring 40 returns the parts to their normal inoperative position.

As noted in FIGURE 2, the respective lengths of cam 32 and lever 42, and the longitudinal spacing of their respective pivots, require that any clockwise movement of cam 32 from their full-line position shall result in a corresponding movement of lever 42. However, counterclockwise movement of lever 42 from its full-line position carries cam tab 48 in a path below and eccentric to that of the free end of cam 32, FIGURE 3, thus to move free of any engagement therewith. Therefore, should the vehicle experience an impact sufficient to deform rod 20 in a manner to shorten the end-to-end distance thereof, as indicated in FIGURE 1, the rod is permitted to distort freely of any resistance at the forward end thereof. The rod may therefore move relative to the inside handle without moving actuating lever 16, rather than move relative to the door latch in a manner to actuate lever 16.

It is to be noted that the improved latch actuating means of this invention may be applied to outside operating handles to accomplish the same purposes as herein described.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a door latch and a shiftable member for releasing said latch, the combination comprising, an operating member swingably mounted on said body, means connecting said operating member to said shiftable member for shifting said shiftable member in a first direction to release said latch upon swinging movement of said operating member in a corresponding direction from an operative position thereof to a latch actuating position thereof, movable operating handle means, and means on said handle means movable in a path to be engageable with cooperating means on said operating member upon movement of said handle means to move said operating member from the operative to the latch actuating position thereof, said cooperating means being movable out of the path of said engageable means to be nonengageable therewith upon distortion of said shiftable member or movement thereof in a direction opposite said first direction causing swinging movement 'of said operating member in a corresponding opposite direction from the operative position thereof to a non-latch actuating position thereof.

2. In a vehicle body having a door latch and a shiftable member for releasing said latch, the combination comprising, an operating member swingably mounted on said body and including abutment means thereon, means connecting said operating member to said shiftable member for shifting said shiftable member in a first direction to release said latch upon swinging movement of said operating member in a corresponding direction from an operative position thereof to alatch actuating position thereof, a movable operating handle, an intermediate member mounted on the body adjacent said operating member for swinging movement in response to move ment of said operating handle, and means on said intermediate member movable in a path to be engageable with said abutment means upon swinging movement of said intermediate member in one direction to swing said operating member fromsthe operative to the latch actuating position thereof, said abutment means being movable out of the path of said engageable means to be nonengageable therewith upon distortion of said shiftable member or movement thereof in a direction opposite said first direction causing swinging movement of said operating member in a corresponding opposite direction from the operative position thereof to a non-latch actuating position thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner. M. HENSON \VOODfJRJ, Examiner. 

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY HAVING A DOOR LATCH AND A SHIFTABLE MEMBER FOR RELEASING SAID LATCH, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, AN OPERATING MEMBER SWINGABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY, MEANS CONNECTING SAID OPERATING MEMBER TO SAID SHIFTABLE MEMBER FOR SHIFTING SAID SHIFTABLE MEMBER IN A FIRST DIRECTION TO RELEASE SAID LATCH UPON SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER IN A CORRESPONDING DIRECTION FROM AN OPERATIVE POSITION THEREOF TO A LATCH ACTUATING POSITION THEREOF, MOVABLE OPERATING HANDLE MEANS, AND MEANS ON SAID HANDLE MEANS MOVABLE IN A PATH TO BE ENGAGEABLE WITH COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID OPERATING MEMBER UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE MEANS TO MOVE SAID OPERATING MEMBER FROM THE OPERATIVE TO THE LATCH ACTUATING POSITION THEREOF, SAID COOPERATING MEANS BEING MOVABLE OUT OF THE PATH OF SAID ENGAGEABLE MEANS TO BE NONENGAGEABLE THEREWITH UPON DISTORTION OF SAID SHIFTABLE MEMBER OR MOVEMENT THEREOF IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE SAID FIRST DIRECTION CAUSING SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER IN A CORRESPONDING OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE OPERATIVE POSITION THEREOF TO A NON-LATCH ACTUATING POSITION THEREOF. 